Chair.



narran strafrns narnia nieren.

SAMUEL vr. Mensen AND JAMES ROCHE, `or Nonrnvrnnn, MICHIGAN.

f CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pmtnt-@l NV, 2U), 1191170 Application filed December 12., 1916. Serial No. 136,567.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that we, SAMUEL W'. MCLEAN and JAMES Roer-1n, citizens of the United States, residing at Northville, in the county of- Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention yrelates to folding chairs.

The object of this invention is to Provide an improved form of folding chair having a rigid seat. In those folding chairs which are known to us, the seat is either a. flexible element, possessing the usual disadvantages of that particular type, or else, the seats are rigid and are loose at one end so as to permit the seats to be lifted out of the way before the chair frames are folded. This latter construction has for a disadvantage that the seats are continuously being dropped, where the folding chairs are used in an assemblage to the great disturbance of the people already gathered. In our invention we provide a folding chair in which the seat is a rigid body, and is mounted upon iXed pivots at the front and rear, so that when the chair is folded, the seat is folded therewith by relative movement of its pivotal supports. plates a folding chair of the type above described in which the back may be inclined while the seat is maintained in a horizontal position, the folding chair being thus convertible into a rest chair or reclining chair.

With the above objects in view and such others as will hereinafter appear, our inall titl

vention will now be fully set forth and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front view of a chair,

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the chair in folded position, and Fig. t is a sectional detail view.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a pair of supports across which is mounted a back 2 which is, or may be shaped of solid wood or laminated structure. The lower ends of the back supports or standards 1 do not extend to the Hoor, but terminate between a pair of inclined The invention also contem-v leg members or braces 3, a cross bar 1 eX- tending throughthe lower ends of the standards 1 and pivot-ally connecting them to the legs 3. A second cross bar 5 secures the lower ends ofthe legs 3 together.

AA pair of front standards 6 which rest upon the floor, and extend upwardly in substantially parallel relation to the standards 1 provide the remaining legs of the chair, and at their upper ends are pivotally engaged in the yokes or sockets 7 which are secured below the forward ends of the arm pieces 8, whose rear ends in turn, are pivot-- ally connected to the outer sides of the standards 1. Transverse bars 9 and 10 rigidly connect the legs or standards 6. Pivotally mounted upon the cross bar 10 and a similar cross bar 11 connecting the intermediate portions of the standards 1 are the supporting members 12 upon which is mounted the rigid seat structure 13. rl`he cross bars 10 and 11 extend to the forward and rear ends respectively of the supporting elements 12, so as to permit the relative folding movements of the standards 1 and G. The upper forward ends of the legs 3 are provided with the series of notches 14 which are adapted to engage the cross bar l() upon opposite sides of the seat 13, the successive engagement of the various notches 14 with the cross bar imparting to the back 2 various degrees of inclination while the seat 13 is maintained in substantially horizontal position. In order to properly brace the forward cross bar 10, the brackets 15 are secured to the inner faces of the legs or standards 6 and bear below the portions of the cross bar 10 over which the legs 3 lock.

It will be noted from the foregoing that the chair is simply constructed and as simply operated. The operator may grip the forward ends of the legs 3 in order to adjust the inclinations of the chair, and may even allow it to drop rearwardly without rising from the chair. By reason of the fact that the seat is mounted upon fixed pivots at its front and rear edges, the chair is given an added rigidity and provides a more substantial support than those folding chairs of similar design which are known to us.

In folding the chair, the upper end of the legs 3 are swung upwardly until they lrest against the sides of the standards 1. The legs 6 are then swung upwardly and rearlll@ tion, a back including back sta1f1da1."ds,front` legs, a cross bar connecting the front legs, a second cross bar connecting the lower portions of the back standards, 11i-gid seat pivotally mounted upon said cross bars, Va

'pair of lege ntermedatel'y fitted tb the lower ends 'of .said back standards and: llaving'theifuppe' en'd's adapted' to' be adjustcopies of this parent may. be obtain-mme ably locked into engagement with vthe cross loal1 connecting the front legs and arm pieces givotally connected to the unner ends of the ront legsV andV to the sides; of' the Vback standards.

In testimony whereof, We ax our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

EL W. MGLEAN. f JAMES ROCHE. Y

Witnesses: WHLLARD` A; nE1n?,` ELMER E. 

